When Covington says “that old song,” he is talking of Jerry Reed’s “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft).” The “it” Covington is referring to? The relationship between the State of Missouri and its county jail system.

“I think the counties are getting the shaft,” Covington said.

Counties across the state face similar financial situations and struggle to stretch dollars to their limit to provide necessary services. But those required services go beyond just keeping county roads and bridges passable. Housing prisoners can cost counties hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and what little money they do receive from the state doesn’t measure up to meet rising costs of maintenance, food and inmate medical expenses.

There are 103 county jailing facilities in the state of Missouri. Last year the state reimbursed counties more than $38 million for housing inmates who eventually end up in a Missouri Department of Corrections facility.

A maximum reimbursement amount of $37.50 per prisoner, per day was established by statute July 1, 1997, but counties have never seen amounts close to that figure. According to Missouri DOC spokesman David Owen, reimbursements in FY 2013 were $19.58.

Covington estimates actual inmate costs run closer to at least $40-$45 per day. In contrast, he said the federal government reimburses counties $50-$75 per day for housing federal prisoners.

While the reimbursement total has increased little (it was $17 in 1996), the same cannot be said for the cost of food, utilities, hygiene products and health care that must be provided to inmates when they reach the pre-trial detainee stage. Counties also receive no reimbursements for those inmates who stay in their facilities but who are sentenced to probation; those who stay in the county facility, but who are later discharged with time served; those sentenced to time in the county jail; or those who are judged innocent of their alleged crimes and released from the county facility.

County jail inmates are required to pay counties for their cost of imprisonment, according to statute, but Convington said those persons often cannot pay their jail costs, even when put on a payment plan. They just don’t have the money.

Neither do the counties.

“It’s a very heavy economic drain on the counties,” Covington said. “It’s becoming a very serious problem. I’d say every sheriff in the state is maximizing what they have.”

Page 2 of 3 - The Adair County Jail was built in 2002 and can house up to 64 inmates at a time. From Jan. 1 through Oct. 31, 2013 the jail has held 879 arrestees.

Adair County Sheriff Robert Hardwick estimates the state reimbursement was $22 when he first took office in 2009. The Adair County Jail charges inmates and other counties a board bill of $35 to cover inmate costs, nearly twice the state reimbursement.

“We’re doing the state’s business. I would hope [the legislature] would take a hard look at it and increase that, because we need something.”

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office is funded by a pair of half-cent sales taxes, including one passed in 2008 for law enforcement services. The sheriff’s office can draw upon that account to help balance its budget needs.

Adair County Clerk Sandy Collop predicts that a time will come when that fund will no longer cover the expenses. The county’s general revenue account is already stressed by other needs, including road and bridge projects as well as another area in which the state has fallen short: assessor’s office reimbursements.

Adair County Commissioner Carson Adams said while the state at one time paid county assessors nearly $7 per recognized parcel, that figure has dropped to $3, necessitating a general revenue transfer of $85,000 next year to help the assessor’s office meet its budget needs.

“The state has made a big deal [about the money they are saving]. Well, they’re not saving a dime. They’re transferring it to the counties,” Adams said.

Missouri’s jail reimbursement system is unique within bordering states. Neither Illinois nor Kansas participate in any sort of reimbursement plan. Kansas DOC Communications Director Jeremy Barclay, upon hearing of the Missouri plan, even referred to it as “kind of generous of the State of Missouri,” saying that his state prefers to keep such matters “to the lowest possible government entity.”

Iowa does reimburse counties for inmates at $50 per day, though it does so less frequently and only for certain offenses. Iowa’s total reimbursements to all counties last fiscal year was just over $1 million.

The State of Missouri is currently at its apex in regard to prisoner housing, Covington said. “Busting at the seams,” is the term he used. Because of this, the DOC is sending certain prison inmates back down to the county jails, or letting them out on probation or parole.

When asked his opinion on why the state government has not stepped up to the plate in order to rectify the monetary situation, Covington said he thinks “it’s a matter of legislators not realizing the magnitude of the problem.”

Page 3 of 3 - “It is a black hole that [counties] just pour money into,” he said.

Mo. Rep. Nate Walker (R-003) said the state legislature is aware of the issue and he would support a funding increase to close the gap, but said more money isn’t the only solution.

“A complete reform of the system is probably needed,” Walker said. “The key solution in my opinion would be having fewer people in the prison and jail pipeline. I think that more reform is needed to fix Missouri’s criminal justice system, which will require input from not only sheriffs, but from the prosecuting attorneys and judges."

Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon’s office sent out the following statement in response to inquiries:

“[Governor] Nixon has been a strong supporter of Missouri law enforcement during his 27 years in public office, and that includes working to ensure that those agencies have appropriate resources. We will continue reviewing each issue as the Governor prepares to submit his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2015 to the General Assembly in January.”

Covington said the current model is unsustainable.

“I think the pertinent thing here is that the criminal and civil justice system in the state of Missouri is a partnership between the state and local governments,” Covington said. “For some reason, it’s out of whack. There has to be an awakening on behalf of the state and on behalf of the citizens that the state work towards that 50/50 relationship. How they get there is the process called democracy, and that process needs to take place.

“We cannot continue this way.”

The Missouri Judge’s Association did not reply to requests for comment.